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[Source_Name: Short_Name='MSG']

Arctic Satellite Composite Imagery - Shortwave Infrared

Entry ID:
SSEC-ARCTIC-Composite-ShortwaveInfrared-ARC-0713843

Summary

Abstract:
The Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison generates a shortwave infrared (~3.8 microns) Arctic satellite composite imagery. Using a mosaic of all satellite data available allows the benefits of both the timeliness and routine observations of geostationary satellites as well as the high latitude coverage of the polar orbiting satellites. The Arctic composites ... are made every three hours (synoptic hour) creating a total of eight images per day. Most input satellite observations included in the composite were procured within 15 minutes of the top of the synoptic hour. No image is more than +/- 50 minutes from the top of the synoptic hour. Geostationary and Polar orbiting satellites used to generate the composite can include: POES/NOAA, GOES -East and ?West, METOSAT, MTSAT, FY-2, Kalpana-1, and Terra/Aqua.

Purpose:
A common use of the routinely generated composite is weather depiction and in particular, clouds are the prime feature in the infrared composites. Used by both scientists and forecasters, the Wisconsin composite provides the only routinely available composite on an hourly basis using both geostationary and polar orbiting satellite imagery for the Arctic.

Quality
A lack of coverage typically but not always in the center of the continent has been a characteristic in the composites. With the strict limits on qualified data to be input to a composite, and with no older data used or any other ?synthetic? creation of data, regions without coverage do result. This ?black hole? region has been reduced in recent years due to improvements in satellite coverage and observations, but still remains as a limitation of the composite.

Access Constraints
The Arctic composites are available at no cost. However, we request that any use of the data acknowledged as from: Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison (or SSEC, UW-Madison if short on space). This project is funded by the Arctic Natural Science Program, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation Grant ARC-0713843.

Use Constraints
The Arctic composites are available at no cost. However, we request that any use of the data acknowledged as from: Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison (or SSEC, UW-Madison if short on space). This project is funded by the Arctic Natural Science Program, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation Grant ARC-0713843.